Fireproof roof or floor



l (No Model.)

T. A.' LEE. FIREIPROOP R00? OR FLOOR.

Patented Apr. 3, 18942 y STATES OFFICE.

THOMAS A. LEE, or KANSAS crrnfMISSoURL FIREPRooF Rooi-jon FLOOR- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,576, dated April 3, 18.94

Originalapplication filed April 26, 1892, Serial ll-'0. 430,759; Divided and this To all whom it may concern."

Be it knownthat I, THOMAS A. LnE,ofKan sas City, Missouri, have'in'ventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Fireproof Roofs and Floors, of which the following' is a de- Y scription, reference being taken to .the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.:

' My invention is peculiarly suited for roof'- ing smelter tlues and passages for heated gases, though in most respects'it is perfectly adapted .to'!ioors, roofs, area ways, walks, stairways, 'and' bridges, ot'v re proof construction. Its purpose -is to form a simple, light,

strong, and durable structure, re proof and incom-bustibla'and, as employed forsmeltersv dues, capable of withstanding the excessive heat and the gases present in thellues.

Tothese and certain other incidental ends, my invention is embodied in theccns'truction and its various features and parta'arranged,

I have described a joistand a door, in which hollow 'tiles form an openwork webbing be combined, vand used,in the manner'hereinafter set forth.

granted to me on the 13th day of October, 1891,

tween a tension member consisting of iron or steel rods, embedded in mortar and cement,'. near the lower faceof theoor, and a com-' 'pression layer orv member consisting ot the' upper walls ofthe tiles. Theprinciple of the `I-bean1 orA other beam joist, or girder, is in corporated into' `the door, renderingthe use of f other supporting beams or-- girders unneces` sary,and causing the licor itself to-act-a's af succession of parallel .united j oist's, in which the tension rods support the tensile stresses dueto the load, the upper tile' wallssupport the crushing or compressive stresses, and the connecting these gether.V

' In a former application filed by me oli- April cations of and" additions to .my constructicn `making it simpler, better, and less expensive. l

application filed January 9. 1293. i SerialNo. (Np model.)

described or referred to in this former case eral terms descriptive alike ofall the forms shown. A l

As the invention that forms the subject of this purpose -and will refer to the accompanying drawings whereinened and dried. The tiles B are. formed',^as

tension r od s'D andfor protecting themfro'm spaces within'thelhollowsbfcf the'tle's. ',Io' increase the strength of thecmpression member of r'nyroof I 'formtheatiles withthickened protection adorded bytheair spaces b' I form but whichA is therein claimedonly in the gen@ Figure l is a viewjof a portion ofone f ormf of smelter flue roof, constructed in accord-l ance with my invention. Fig. 2 iis a detail Hue wall is indicated by A,and the roof tiles', i by B and C.' In erecting the 'roofs ascaiold- In patents numbered 461,028 and 461,029

clearly-'seen in the drawings, withrecesses or l channels b in their sides, for receiving the upper walls or tops-b, and, to increase-the- .4 1 The present application isfor matter breliy thepresent application is particnlarlyadapted y -to smettere, I will describe it as employed for forms of my invention, and'Figs.' 3 and 4 are In the figures like lettersof .reference india the heat and-the gases,- by means of the -airf "the .tiles wijtlfthe hollow flanges or projections b" thus extending-the hollowsbl'-bene'aththe recesses b and more eifectually protecting the tension rods. The tiles'B are laid in courses Sfro m` wall to -wallwith their hollows bf and revertical walls of thehollow tilesform the' web twomembers rigidly to -cesses b communicating and vcontinuous .from

the crosses B vand-restnptn'l the flanges or pro jectionsfbm.` The tiles G-are'placed withthe upper walls or tops'rising above the .tiles :B-

throu'gh the Ahollows. In laying, the `tiles, B

and. permitting free circulationA of. the air' wall to wall. Coursesof tiles C preferably of the book shapeshown in Fig. 2,"alternat'e with hollows transverse to the course and with the is carried till the cement or mortar .has hard "75 then laid in the recesses b and embedded in cement or mortar, and finally the book tiles are added, as shown, tiles or bricks a being employed to fill in the wall beneath the end tile C. Through the hollows b, open at both ends of the courses, a continuous circulation of fresh air occurs, affording the most complete protection possible tothe tension rods.

In addition tothis there is a transverse 4cirxo cnlation -through each'of the tiles C increasing the cooling effect on the rods and on the cement joints. It will be noticed that the upper lateral edges ofthe tiles are slightly raised forming gutters for 4rain water and' preventing its accumulation within the hollows of the tiles C. A

1n Fig. 3 I' show an alternate typek of my invention inwhich only one form of tile is used. As before, the tiles whichcorresponds zo to the ti'ies B in Fig. 1, are provided witlrthe Y thickened upper walls b, and with the re-` cesses b; but the recesses are only in one wall of the tiles and the hollows b' extend intothe projections 11 upon only one side. On that side the tilesrrnay be said to rest -upon the tension rods, while on the other side the inclination of the lateral faces supports them; but from this statement it must not ,be unvderstood that the tiles `are in any sense sus- 3 pended, after the'manner shown in `patents to others but, in combination with therods, they form self-sustaining courses which act as Ibeams or, other rectilinear girders. In Fig. 3, perhaps better than in any other ligure,

this principle is illustrated; for it is there clearlyapparent that the fioorjis peculiarly designed to act as a beam for transverse loads, Vhaving a compression resisting member consisting of the thickened tile walls b, a tenl 4o sion resisting member consisting of the tension rods D in their embedding tile walls and cement, and a non-shearing web consisting of the' vertical tile walls, separating and rigidly,

` binding together the tension and compression members like lattice work in bridge grders and columns. A j

In Fig. 4 I show a modification in which I v employ separate protection -tilesB to replace the anges or extensions b'". These have r'e- 5Q cesses for the rods as before, and of such shape that thong-h loosened the tiles will not fall from the rods. The upper layers are `preferably of book shape lor other equivalent form, in order that a loosened tile may receive 5`5 support from adjacent tiles. This is more needed in this form of my invention than in Fig. l, since in the latter instance the projections-or flanges b supported the tiles C. In Fig. 4, I also lsupplement the upper face 6o of the structure bya compression resisting layer of cement or plaster E whichmaybe used asa finished doorl'surface. .This form of vmy invention is'verystrong and at the Sametime very lightlfor the greatest effect is had froml a given ameuntof material. I

'still further increase the rigidity and strength of the structure by embedding light rods D',

laid transverselybetween.the tiles, to bind or4 bond the door against lateral rupture. v

In my oor patent above referred to I have 7o "set forth wire bonds between adjacent tension rods, whereas the bonding rods in. the present instance are veritable tension rods running perpendicularly to (or at an angle with) the other tension rods l). I may place rods D every ten or twelve inches if the tiles permit, but I only employ the rods D at intervals of tive or six feet.

I do not herein describe the details of my tension resisting rods because they form the 8o subject matter of .two other applications filed by me on the 30th day of April, 1892,and the 19th clay otNovember, 1892, and serially n umbered respectively 431,369 and 452,486.

I I have now set forth my invention and the manner in which itmay be pnt into use, and therefore, without obscuring its more essential features by enumeratingfthe many variations and additions that may be made without departing from its principles, I claim as 9o my own, and desire Ato secure by these Letters `Patent, the following:

1^. Al-ayer of tension rods, cement, and tiles for use in sm'elter -nues and other passages for heated gases, certain of the' tiles being 95 provided with channeled or recessed faces whereby they may forma tubular or other space between adjacent tiles forthe reception of the said tension rods, and being provided with hollow projections or flangesV 19 exroo tendingr beneath the said layer to protect the tens-ion rods and surrounding cement, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.

2. In'combination with -snpp'brting walls, one or more courses of tiles B provided with, m5 channels or recesses b, for receiving tension rods, and communicating hollows b', extending parallelwith and under the said recesses b, transversely to the said walls and open to the air at the e'nd or ends of the saidv course 1ro or courses, one or more,` tension` rods D cemented within the said channels `or recesses, and one or more courses of tiles'C placed adjacent to the saidcourse or courses of tilesB and closing the said recesses b, substantially x15 as, andfor the purposes, set forth.

3. In combination with supporting walls, one or more courses of tiles B provided with channels or recesses b, forreceiving tension rods, and communicating hollows b extend- :zo ing parallel with and under the said recesses 4l'n transversely to the said'walls and open to the air atthe end or ends of the said course or courses, one 4or more tension rods D111?.-

mented withinthe said channels orrccesses, x25

and one or more courses of tiles placed adja cent tothe said course'or courses of tiles B, having hollows transverse to the course and open at their endsabove the edges of the said tiles B, substantially as,a.nd for the purposes, r3o set forth. v A

4. A roof or door for smelter ilnes and like uses, consisting of hollow tileworkr andten' sion rods, the upper walls of the said tile4 work h rio formin'gthe compression member of the said roof or oor and the tension rods forming the.

and other structures, subjected to compression at or near one surface andtension at or near the other surface thereof, consisting of a thiclenedfac@ wall, or'portion, b, for forming the compression layer `ofthe -said structure' and thinner or lighter walls inclosing the hollow or hollows Zi and forming the web ofthe said structure, and channels orrecesses Infor tension rods embedded in cement, substantially as,andv"for the purposes, set forth.

6. A. hollow tiie B for use in `floors, roofs, and other structures subjected to compression at or near one surface'and tension at or near the other surface thereof, having channels or recessesb for tension rods embedded in cement, and anges or projections b" forming protective -air spaces for the said channels or recesses; substantially as, and for the pur poses, set forth. A

7. A hollow tile B for use in oors, roofs, and other structures subjected to compression at or near one surface, and tension at or near the other surface thereof, provided with hollow fianges or projections b for protecting.

a tension rod or other material placed abgve such flanges or projections, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.

8. A layer oftension rods, cement, and tiles, for use in smelter ilues and other passages for heated gases, certain-of the tiles being provided with channels or recesses b whereby they may form a tubular or other space be-.

tween adjacent tiles for the reception of the said tension rods, and, being provided with hollow flanges 6", extending beneath the said chambers or recesses to protect the tension j rods and surrounding cement, and supporting the adjacent tiles, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.

9. Alayer of tension rods, cement, and tiles, for use in smelter -iiues and other passages for heated gases, certain of the tiles being provided with channels or recesses b whereby they may-form a tubular or other space between adjacent tilesfor the reception of the said `tension rods, and -being provided withhollow`iianges lf extending beneath the said chambers'or recesses to protect the tension rods and surrounding cement, and a superposed layer of cement, plaster, or other material, E, substantially as, and for the purposes,

set forth. v

10. In a floor, roof, or like structure, hollow tilework, and tension rods rigidly secured' thereto, the saidrods forming a tension sustaining layer or member of the structure, the upper walls of the said tilework forming a compression sustaining layer or member, and cement or other strengthening material superposed upon the said tilework, whereby distinct'and parallel tension' and compression 'members or'layers are produced separated but rigidly connected by a light webbing,

substantially as, and for thc purposes, set

forth.

Inv testimony whereof I have hereto set 'my hand this 24th dayof December, 1892. THOMAS A. LEE. lVitnesses:

HAROLD BINNEY, MAY G. RIDLEY. 

